in the news

CARLSBAD — A meeting hosted by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich encouraged small area businesses to look into opportunities to provide products and services to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and other Department of Energy facilities on Wednesday. The meeting allowed small businesses to meet with representatives from the Supply...

A U.S. lawmaker says loopholes in federal laws have left authorities with little leverage in seeking the return of tribal religious items that are illegal to trade in the United States but sell for thousands of dollars in foreign markets. The comments Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, a New Mexico Democrat, came during a field...

This month, New Mexicans gathered to sign a 180-foot, 23,000-pound wind turbine blade in front of the Curry County Courthouse. This gigantic blade will join two others on a tower that will be part of the Grady Wind Energy Center, one of three new wind energy projects in the county, which will produce approximately 500 megawatts. That’s...

When laser-equipped fighter jets hit the skies in the 2020s, they’ll include a lot of “Made in New Mexico” technology. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base is overseeing the government’s new fighter jet demonstration project known as SHiELD, or Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator. The program...

COMMENTARY: Our land is an integral part of who we are as New Mexicans. The Land of Enchantment is home to many national forests, parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. These are outdoor treasures that are owned by all of us, from ranchers who graze their livestock, to backcountry hunters and anglers, to families who take...

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (AP) - Congressional delegates from New Mexico are pushing for the U.S. Air Force to relocate F-16 squadrons to Holloman Air Force Base. U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Rep. Steve Pearce met Thursday with Air Force Under Secretary Lisa Disbrow to make their case for expanding the mission of the southern New Mexico base...

ALAMOGORDO - A bipartisan contingent of the state’s congressional delegation is urging the federal government to relocate F-16 squadrons to Holloman Air Force Base and expand training efforts at the southern New Mexico post. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich and Rep. Steve Pearce are asking U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James...

Earlier this year, when looking through a list of tribal artifacts up for bid at an art auction house in Paris, the Pueblo of Acoma discovered that the Acoma shield, a sacred ceremonial object, had been stolen and was about to be sold to the highest bidder. After Acoma Gov. Kurt Riley notified me, I wrote a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry...

FARMINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Friday it is awarding about $1.2 million in reimbursements to tribal and government agencies in the Four Regions region, including the Navajo Nation, for costs associated with the response to the Gold King Mine spill. The announcement issued by the EPA came on the...

Last week, we objected to the Senate moving forward on the 2017 Intelligence Authorization bill. We are concerned that this bill would undermine a federal board that serves as an independent watchdog for intelligence agencies. We are even more concerned that this bill includes an unnecessary, sprawling expansion of the FBI’s ability to spy on...

Proposed tax credit could boost renewable energy use in NM – Albuquerque Business First A potential new tax credit tied to solar power is headed to Congress next week via one of New Mexico's two U.S. senators. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., plans to introduce a tax credit for storage based on the current solar energy credit, according to a...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Citing concerns of tribal leaders, U.S Sen. Martin Heinrich said Tuesday he would push to broaden the scope of a federal law designed to crack down on the looting, trafficking and exporting of federally protected Native American items. Heinrich plans to introduce legislation that would double the prison time to 10...

Repairs to the troubled D.C. Metro rail system are testing the patience of commuters this summer, but Capitol Hill staffers and interns must still squeeze on those trains to get to work and some of their bosses are right there with them.   On any given morning on the Red Line platform at Union Station, you can find Sens. Martin Heinrich of New...

RIO RANCHO, N.M. (KRQE) –  A U.S. Senator helped celebrate Independence Day with a flag ceremony honoring New Mexico veterans. Senator Martin Heinrich met with local veterans and military families at the Rio Rancho Veterans of Foreign Wars post 58-90. Senator Heinrich has been a strong supporter to ensure veterans have access to their...

American Indian tribes long have known that their sacred objects and items of cultural patrimony have been showing up in art galleries, on internet sites and in auction house catalogs — often in Europe — eventually ending up in the hands of wealthy international collectors. In the last year, at least 24 items of Acoma Pueblo cultural...

FARMINGTON — The Navajo Nation has thrown its support behind legislation that would strengthen a federal law that prohibits exporting Native American sacred and traditional items. On Thursday, nine members of the Naa’bik’íyáti’ Committee approved a bill to support the proposal, which Sen....

As an avid hunter, there is no place I’d rather live than Doña Ana County, because hunting opportunities in southern New Mexico are second to none and the scenic beauty is breathtaking. I’ve trekked through the Potrillo and Sierra de Las Uvas ranges and have never once taken these majestic mountains and canyons for granted. When...

Roswell has received more than $2.1 million in federal funds to complete the final portion of a three-phase runway repair project. Federal Aviation Administration grants for the Roswell International Air Center and Artesia Municipal Airport will pay for the work on runways. Artesia will receive $3.15 million, while Roswell has been allocated $2.14...

Airports in Artesia and Roswell will receive $5.29 million in federal grant money to improve their infrastructure, Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced Wednesday in a joint statement. The Artesia Municipal Airport will get $3.15 million and the Roswell International Air Center $2.14 million for rehabilitation to runways, according to the...

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - As the Los Alamos National Laboratory faces thousands of job openings over the next five years New Mexico's community colleges are looking at how they can prepare their students for those jobs. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that representatives from the lab and community college presidents met in Santa Fe with...